Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Other Woman

Madame de Pompadour  Portrait by Charles-André van Loo
Such an odd topic to be going on about, however, lately it seems to be popping up around me in books and TV. 

Just today, Darling Diva and I watched a Dr. Who episode which involved the woman above, Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, also known as Madame de Pompadour.  This was the woman known to all as chief mistress to the King of France Louis XV.  Imagine that, chief mistress, the head honchetta of other women.  She was second only to the Queen, but really, I wonder, did she truly come in second place or did the Queen do her duty and produce the heirs then to be left alone while the King maintained an actual relationship with his mistress?  Where the King/mistress relationships the real love matches while the marriages were about business only?

From what I've read the opposite seems like it would be true and the mistress' view this life like a business contract.  Wealth, notoriety, the endless trappings of a 'good' life and mostly the freedom to do what they wished with out being shackled by society, it sure seems like the good life.  Only if that were true, then were the Queen's considered the love match? 

Doubtful considering how they were treated most of the time.  Heck, Madame de Pompadour lived in apts above the kings rooms which were probably close to the Queen's rooms as well.  Let's be honest here, you know the Queen probably had to listen to the grunts and groans, yelps and delightful squeals of the King and mistress in what was most likely an above average sex life.  Two times a week?  Right ~rolls eyes~

This, of course, leads me to believe there was little emotion between the King and Queen.  So what happened to love?

Now in all honesty, the Queen probably had a stable of lovers, or at least one steady herself, but the point is how did people live with this lack of love?  Emotion?

So, back to the original thought, the other woman, what an odd thing to be going on about, but it makes me wonder if I could write a story involving a husband, a wife and TOW?  Probably not as I just can't wrap myself around the emotions, or lack there of, involved.  No one would "win" in my story, mainly because I can see the situation from all angles and while I'm pro-love, back then, marriage was like a business deal and love took a back seat.  Maybe then I should take up the challenge and try to write said story...

Who knows, maybe it'll go to the bottom of my to write list. 


6 comments:

  1. Interesting contemplations, indeed. My only real perspective is writing a paper in college about how 'romance' came to be in Medieval Times... as a grand love from afar... no physical love because that would defile the beloved... from what I remember women in the court decided they were tired of being... well, basically disrespected... so, the idea of 'courtly love' or chivalry was born.

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  2. LOL...Ya gotta love women. When we set our mind to something, well, watch out. ;)

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  3. Or maybe the King sucked in Ye Royale Sakke and the Queen looked forward to getting a break. It isn't always about the guy. Though it always seems to be, doesn't it?

    Maybe the story should be about a Queen and her stable of consorts. A bunch of bitchy guys jockeying to become the official King. Will she legally marry the one she loves, or the one the people prefer?

    Geez. Now it sounds like a reality show. For the record, I've never watched "Sister Wives" and have no intention to.

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  4. OMG LOL, yep Pat, perhaps the King did suck in the Royale Sakke and I mean who could blame the Queen from wanted a break from that!

    You know, that sounds like a really good historical story. I wonder, if written, would there be a publisher interested in such a female freedom story such as that. :)

    Nope, I've not watched "Sister Wives" either, but I just know I'd never be able to live in a situation like that.

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  5. Maybe if you wrote it as SF or science fantasy and made it a ménage. Then any number of erotica publishers would want it. After all, it's all about pleasing the woman.

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  6. ~Gulp~ The ménage part I could handle, but a SF story...not so much. My grey matter doesn't put that together well. LOL

    I could shoot for straight erotica with ménage, that might work. ;)

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